ἐπαίρω G1869
To lift up, raise (eyes, hands, voice); figuratively to exalt oneself in pride; also to hoist a sail or be taken up.
Compounded from ἐπί ('upon') and αἴρω ('raise'), this verb in its simplest form describes the physical gesture of lifting eyes or hands — among the most common postures of prayer in the ancient world. Luke is especially fond of it: Jesus 'lifted up his eyes' to his disciples before the Beatitudes (Luke 6:20), and the tax collector would not even 'lift up his eyes' to heaven (Luke 18:13). The Spanish 'alzando' (raising) and German 'erheben' (to elevate) reflect this core meaning. Paul repurposes the verb powerfully in 2 Corinthians 10:5, where every proud thought that 'raises itself' against the knowledge of God must be taken captive.
3. exalt oneself — To exalt or elevate oneself in pride or arrogance, used in the middle voice to indicate reflexive self-exaltation. Paul uses it twice in 2 Corinthians: every 'lofty thing raising itself' (ἐπαιρόμενον) against God's knowledge (10:5), and the false apostle who 'exalts himself' over the community (11:20). The Spanish 'se-enaltece' (exalts himself) captures the reflexive middle perfectly. The shift from physical lifting to moral presumption is sharp and memorable. 2×
AR["مُرتَفِعٍ","يَتَرَفَّعُ"]·ben["উত্থাপিত","উন্নত-হয়"]·DE["erheben"]·EN["exalts-himself","raising-itself"]·FR["élever"]·heb["מִתְנַשֵּׂא"]·HI["अपने-आप-को-ऊंचा-करता-है","उठनेवाली"]·ID["meninggikan-diri","yang-meninggikan-diri"]·IT["alzare"]·jav["ingkang-dipuninggahaken","ngunggulaken"]·KO["교만하면","들린"]·PT["que-se-levanta","se-exalta"]·RU["поднимающуюся","превозносится"]·ES["que-se-levanta","se-enaltece"]·SW["anajinua,","kinachojinua"]·TR["karşı-duran","yükselirse"]·urd["اٹھتی","اپنے-آپ-کو-بڑھاتا-ہے"]
▼ 4 more senses below
Senses
1. lift up physically — To physically raise or lift up something — typically eyes, hands, or the head — in a concrete, bodily gesture. This is the dominant NT use, appearing in Jesus lifting his eyes (Luke 6:20, John 4:35, 6:5, 11:41, 17:1), the rich man lifting his eyes in Hades (Luke 16:23), and the disciples lifting their eyes at the Transfiguration (Matt 17:8). The Spanish 'alzando' (raising) and German 'erheben' match the straightforward physical action. Luke 24:50 shows Jesus lifting hands to bless. 13×
AR["اِرفَعوا","اِرْفَعُوا","رافِعينَ","رافِعًا","رافِعَةً","رَفَعَ","رَفَعُوا","يَرفَعَ"]·ben["উত্তোলন-করে","তুলতে","তুলিলেন","তুলে","তুলেছে","তোল"]·DE["erheben","erhebt"]·EN["having-lifted-up","lift-up","lifted-up","lifting","lifting-up","to-lift"]·FR["lever","élever"]·heb["הֵרִים","הֵרִימָה","הָרִימוּ","לְהָרִים","מְרִימִים","נָשָׂא","נוֹשְׂאִים","נוֹשֵׂא","שְׂאוּ"]·HI["आवाज़","उठाओ","उठाकर","उठाना","उठाया","उथकर","उथते-हुए"]·ID["angkatlah","mengangkat","mengangkatlah"]·IT["alzare","epairontas"]·jav["Tumenga","inggahaken","junjungna","ngancat","ngangkat","nginggahaken","sasampunipun-ngancat"]·KO["그들-이","높였다","들라","들어","들어-올려","들어-올렸다","들어-올리고","들어-올리시고","들어라","들어올려","들지"]·PT["erguei","levantai","levantando","levantou","tendo-levantado"]·RU["возвысил","воздевая","поднимите","подняв","поднял","поднять"]·ES["alzad","alzando","alzar","habiendo-alzado","habiendo-levantado","levantando","levantó"]·SW["akainua","akiinua","aliinua","aliniinulia","inueni","kuinua","wakiinua"]·TR["kaldırarak","kaldırdı","kaldırmayı","kaldırın","kaldırınca","kaldırıp"]·urd["اوپر-اٹھاؤ","اُٹھا-کر","اُٹھائی","اُٹھانا","اُٹھایا","اٹھا-کر","اٹھاتے-ہوئے","اٹھاکر","کہتا-ہوں"]
Matt 17:8, Luke 6:20, Luke 11:27, Luke 16:23, Luke 18:13, Luke 21:28, Luke 24:50, John 4:35, John 6:5, John 13:18, John 17:1, Acts 2:14 (+1 more)
2. raise one's voice — To raise or lift up one's voice, a figurative extension where the object shifts from body part to speech. In Acts 14:11 the Lycaonians 'raised their voices' calling Barnabas Zeus, and in Acts 22:22 the crowd 'raised their voice' demanding Paul's death. The Spanish 'alzaron' and 'levantaron' both preserve the lifting metaphor applied to vocal volume. This is a natural extension of the physical gesture — the mouth opens, the sound rises. 2×
AR["رَفَعوا","رَفَعُوا"]·ben["তারা-তুলল","তুললেন"]·DE["erhebt"]·EN["lifted-up","they-raised"]·FR["élever"]·heb["הֵרִימוּ","נָשְׂאוּ"]·HI["उठाई"]·ID["mengangkat"]·IT["alzare"]·jav["minggahaken","ngangkat"]·KO["그들이-높였다","높였다"]·PT["levantaram"]·RU["возвысили","подняли"]·ES["alzaron","levantaron"]·SW["waliinua","walipaza"]·TR["kaldırdılar","yükselttiler"]·urd["اُنہوں-نے-اُٹھائی","اُٹھائی"]
4. hoist a sail — To hoist or raise a sail in a nautical context, a specialized technical application of the basic lifting meaning. In Acts 27:40, during the dramatic shipwreck narrative, the sailors 'hoisted the foresail' (ἐπάραντες τὸν ἀρτέμωνα) to drive toward shore. The Spanish 'habiendo-izado' (having hoisted) is precise maritime vocabulary. This single occurrence shows how naturally the verb adapts to specific physical contexts. 1×
AR["لَمَّا-رَفَعُوا"]·ben["তুলিয়া"]·DE["erhebt"]·EN["having-hoisted"]·FR["élever"]·heb["הֵרִימוּ"]·HI["उठाकर"]·ID["mengangkat"]·IT["alzare"]·jav["angkat"]·KO["올리고"]·PT["tendo-içado"]·RU["поднявши"]·ES["habiendo-izado"]·SW["wakiinua"]·TR["açıp"]·urd["اٹھا-کر"]
5. be lifted up (passive) — To be lifted up or taken up passively, describing bodily elevation by divine power. In Acts 1:9, Christ 'was lifted up' (ἐπήρθη) before the disciples' eyes as a cloud received him — the Ascension itself. The passive voice sets this apart from all other senses: the subject does not lift but is lifted. The Spanish 'fue-levantado' (was raised) preserves the passive construction. This theological use transforms a common physical verb into a vehicle for describing divine action in history. 1×
AR["اُرْتُفِعَ"]·ben["তুলিয়া-নেওয়া-হইলেন"]·DE["erhebt"]·EN["he-was-lifted-up"]·FR["élever"]·heb["נִשָּׂא"]·HI["और"]·ID["Ia-diangkat,"]·IT["alzare"]·jav["kawunggahaken,"]·KO["그-가"]·PT["foi-levantado"]·RU["Он-был-поднят,"]·ES["fue-levantado"]·SW["aliinuliwa"]·TR["alındı-yukarı"]·urd["اُٹھایا-گیا"]
BDB / Lexicon Reference
ἐπαίρω, Ionic dialect and poetry ἐπᾰείρω Refs 8th c.BC+: future ἐπᾱρῶ (contraction from ᾰερ-) Refs 5th c.BC+: aorist ἐπῆρα, participle ἐπάρας Refs 5th c.BC+: perfect ἐπῆρκα Refs 4th c.BC+ —passive, aorist ἐπήρθην, participle ἐπαρθείς: lift up and set on, [αὐτὸν] ἀμαξάων ἐπάειρραν lifted and set him upon.., Refs 8th c.BC+ __2 lift, raise, κεφαλὴν ἐπαείρας Refs 5th c.BC+; πάντες ἐπῆραν (i.e. τὴν…